Drug Addiction

Treating Drug Addiction

In 2021 cocaine continued to be the most popular drug of choice for those entering treatment. 62% of all drug users entering treatment cited cocaine as their primary. Cocaine also accounted for 20% of all secondary addictions.

We also saw admissions in 2021 for addiction to opiates, cannabis, benzodiazapines and other substances.

At the Rutland Centre, however, we have a history of providing effective drug-free treatments and beating addiction together with 40 years of experience.

Drug addiction is not a new problem, but it is, unfortunately, a persistent one. Drug-related deaths in Ireland remains unacceptably high, with 679 deaths attributed to drugs in 2013 - 50% of these premature deaths were people 41 years or younger. (HRB, 2015) As well as being a dangerous and destructive addiction, drug use is also illegal and there were over 15,000 reported drug offences last year, about two-thirds of which were personal use. (CSO, 2016)

Drug Addiction Symptoms

Many drug addictions begin through experimentation in social situations. There is a misconception that simply trying a drug once can be harmless, but this is untrue. Dependencies and addiction can manifest themselves in people from their first time using a drug, and develop often without the user being fully aware of the change. While the risk of addiction can vary depending on the type of drug being used, the symptoms of addiction are often the same. They include:

• Regular use of the drug. This can be monthly, weekly, or even hourly.

• Feeling that use is necessary to function normally or is needed to have a good time, or get through the day.

• Needing more of the drug to get the same effect or high.

• Changing your behaviour in order to get or buy the drug such as not meeting obligations at work, avoiding family or social interactions, borrowing or stealing money in order buy the drug.

Although these symptoms are quite personal to the user, if you are worried about the drug habits of someone you know, the following symptoms are ones to look out for:

• Problems at school or at work
  Missing days, showing up late or performing poorly.

• Poor health or appearance
  Physical changes such as weight gain or loss, poor health and hygiene, or lack of interest in appearance, or looking well

• Changes in behaviour
  Antisocial behaviour, not maintaining relationships with friends and family, little or no energy or motivation, or being secretive about entering their room or who they are spending their time with.

• Financial changes
  Needing money without any obvious reason, borrowing, stealing, or gambling in order to get access to more money (Mayo Clinic, 2014)

Drug Addiction Treatment at The Rutland Centre

Here at the Rutland Centre, we have been helping people to overcome drug addiction for decades with illicit or licit chemical addiction being our second most common illness.

If you have any concerns about your own drug habits or those of a loved one, please pick up the phone to contact us and find out more about our drug rehab programs. We are firmly of the opinion that in Ireland people wait far too long to make the call to seek addiction treatment. Drug rehabilitation and change are much more attainable if treatment is sought at an early stage.

Allow us to help you today - call (01) 494 6358. You may also want to visit our treatment services page for a list of the various treatments we have available.

References

Mayo Clinic. (2014).  Drug addiction Symptoms

HRB, (2015). Drug-related deaths and deaths among drug users in Ireland: 2013 figures from the National Drug-Related Deaths Index.  Health Research Board

CSO, (2016). CSO -  Controlled drug offences

Fulton, C. (2015). Playing Social Roulette: The Impact of Gambling on Individuals and Society in Ireland. University College Dublin.

Mayo Clinic. (2016) "Compulsive Gambling - Mayo Clinic". Mayoclinic.org. N.p., 2016. Web.